Nature of Y₁Ba₂Cu₃O₇ nucleation centers on ceria buffers

The purpose of this study is to enhance properties of the second-generation wires by increasing the density of Y₁Ba₂Cu ₃O₇ (YBCO) nucleation centers on the surface of the ceria buffer. To identify the nature of the nucleation centers, we compare nucleation kinetics and performance of YBCO layers deposited by the metal-organic process on a standard RABiTS tape to YBCO on ceria buffers with well-controlled structure and surface morphology. The structure of the YBCO layer at the early stage of nucleation and growth is determined by high-flux synchrotron x-ray diffraction. It is shown that the best buffers exhibit high YBCO nucleation rates and produce YBCO nuclei with the least cation disorder. The high YBCO nucleation rate is associated with a high density of threading dislocation outcrops. A strategy for buffer optimization is identified.